The Russian consulate in Hurghada said the submarine, named “SINDBAD”, had 45 Russian tourists on board in addition to crew members. The consulate said four people had died, but did not specify if they were Russian, Reuters reported.
The local governorate’s office told Reuters that all of those confirmed dead were foreign citizens, while survivors had been ferried by ambulance to several hospitals in the city. Emergency crews were able to rescue 29 people, according to a statement released by the governorate. Many tourist companies have stopped or limited travelling on the Red Sea due to the dangers from conflicts in the region.
The Sindbad club’s website says it offers short tourist trips in two submarines that it operates that have a maximum depth range of 25 metres. According to the website its submarines allow tourists to “experience the beauty of the Red Sea’s underwater world without getting wet”.
The website for Sinbad Submarines, the company that operated the submarine that sank in the Red Sea on Thursday, appears to be no longer working. It is unclear if the website has been taken down or if technical difficulties are to blame.
The submarine, named “Sindbad,” runs one to three hour tours, usually cruising at about 20-25 metres (65-80 feet) underwater with panoramic windows on the bottom to give views of the marine life, according to the website of the company that the Russian consulate identified as running the vessel. The company did not respond to phone calls seeking comment, AP reported.
Egyptian authorities are conducting investigations with crew members to determine the causes of the submarine sinking, the local governorate cited Red Sea Province governor Amr Hanafy as saying. The submarine, which is owned by an Egyptian, was licensed and so was the crew captain, he said.
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Egypt, with its airport receiving more than nine million passengers last year, according to state media.
It is still unclear what caused the submarine to sink.
In November, four people drowned and 33 were rescued when a tourist diving boat was struck by high waves and sank within minutes.
Another boat sank in June after storm damage, the environment ministry said at the time, although no casualties were reported.
However, Thursday’s forecast in the city was clear, with above average winds reported but optimum visibility underwater.
Source: theguardian.com
